TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Friday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2012. There are 332 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 3, 1959, rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

On this date:

In 1783, Spain formally recognized American independence.

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens held a shipboard peace conference off the Virginia coast; the talks deadlocked over the issue of Southern autonomy.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.

In 1971, New York City police officer Frank Serpico, who had charged there was widespread corruption in the NYPD, was shot and seriously wounded during a drug bust in Brooklyn.

In 1998, A U.S. Marine plane sliced through the cable of a ski gondola in Italy, sending the car plunging hundreds of feet, killing all 20 people inside.

Ten years ago: Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay backed out of testifying before Congress about the collapse of the energy giant.

Five years ago: Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wehrli, Michael Irvin, Charlie Sanders and Gene Hickerson were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

One year ago: Actress Maria Schneider, who was Marlon Brando's young co-star in Bernardo Bertolucci's steamy "Last Tango in Paris," died in the French capital at age 58.